How to Build a Flower Bed in My Lawn

Sketch the flower bed on graph paper. Determine its shape, dimensions, the type of edging you want to use and the arrangement and types of flowers. Group flowers with the same sunlight, water and fertilizer requirements together.

Spread powdered chalk over the selected area in the desired shape of the flower bed. Depending on personal taste and available space, make a circular, square, rectangular or any shape bed. Sprinkle the chalk according to any contours of the bed.

Test the soil over the selected site with a soil testing kit to determine the amendments you need to add. Alternatively, send the sample to your local university Extension office to have it tested. Make sure the soil over the site drains well, as most flowers cannot thrive in overly moist soils or spots with pools of collected water.

Kill existing vegetation over the site with a glyphosate herbicide. Pour the herbicide in a pump sprayer and spray evenly over any grass or weeds growing there. Repeat application after two to three days to kill stubborn plants that do not begin to wilt, or rake dead plants along with their roots after one week to 10 days.

Dig the soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches with a shovel. This helps aerate the soil and break large mounds into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Add 4 to 6 inches of peat moss, compost, well-rotted manure or any organic matter to the soil to improve its quality and nutrient count. Also add nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, zinc or other nutrients lacking in the soil according to the results of the soil pH test. Mix the amendments well in the soil with a shovel. Rake the soil smooth and let it settle for two to three weeks.

Install edging around the flower bed, directly over the boundary lines made with powdered chalk. Dig a trench over the lines, as wide as the selected edging material but 1/2 inch shorter so its top of the edging protrudes from the surrounding soil. Choices include metal, plastic, wood, concrete blocks and stones.